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Fallon Godwin-Butler/Elko, Nevada.  “We always take cooking classes every Cowboy Poetry, but we couldn’t miss Ramon’s because when he had his restaurant we ate there two and three times a week, and we miss him so much,” said Sharon Bachman.

“These classes have been so much fun,” said Janell Barton. She described to the Free Press how they provide fun recipes and even experiences such as making raviolis from scratch with Luc Gerber of Luciano’s and the “fellowship” of the Gathering.

This workshop, at the Elko Basque Club, was for the creative and the nostalgic soul, especially those who ate at the former Basque restaurant, Biltoki. Zugazaga, a Basque chef, created an array of entrees and a special starter, the chef’s take on cabbage soup.

The Class

At the end of the class, participants were able to enjoy a full-bodied red wine and homemade dressing, meatballs, beef tongue and chicken.

Zugazaga created a fun and light-hearted environment. At one point, he asked participants, “Everybody knows how to make meatballs, you want to do that?”

He then asked the class what goes into meatballs. There were guesses of breadcrumbs, peppers, onions and more. The chef started with the basics of salt, garlic powder and black pepper. This endeavor became a group effort, starting with a class member kneading 12 eggs into the meat and ending with a group of five or six rolling the meat into breadcrumbs.

“It’s great just to learn different cooking,” said Jay Caldwell. This is his third time at the Gathering. He participated at the 10th, 20th and now the 32nd.

While some came for the cultural aspect, others came for the love of both Zugazaga and his food.

“He’s the hardest working man I know,” said Al Bernarda, explaining how Zugazaga kept his restaurant open seven days a week starting at 4 or 5 a.m. to prepare for the day.

“His heart is in the cooking,” said Patricia Hennessy-Nelsen, who attended the class because she had eaten at Biltoki and missed the restaurant.

She also shared a memory of Zugazaga’s giving nature. One night she brought a 95-year-old artist, Burt Dinius, to eat at Zugazaga’s establishment. It was a “freezing cold night” and after dinner, even though it was near closing, Zugazaga helped her fix a wheelchair.

“There is love and joy with his cooking,” she said.

Eileen Worthington was another participant who loved his food and her husband enjoys Zugazaga’s salad dressing. With this class, she was able to enjoy his food and get the recipe for the dressing.

She also discussed the camaraderie of the Gathering. You meet nice people who “become old friends even though you only see each other once a year,” Worthington said.

The Chef

Zugazaga, who retired after over 30 years, was asked by the Gathering to teach a class; he has done this a couple of times. He prepared the same food as he did in his restaurant.

“I enjoy both, food and people,” he said, explaining what makes him want to teach these classes.

“I miss people, you know, the good people,” said Zugazaga. “I saw today the people, I mean local people and people all the way from Canada. They’ve been coming to my cooking class for 30 some years and, when I had a restaurant, they always were in my restaurant.”

Zugazaga said he enjoys doing things like this once in a while. “I like cooking because I like challenging myself, doing new things,” he said.

“If you own a restaurant, you enjoy the people,” said Zugazaga.